THE 108TH SHEEP

Young Emma’s time-honored method for getting to sleep literally crashes to a halt when Sheep #108, not much of a jumper, collides with the headboard. This becomes a problem not only for Emma, but for all the sheep too, who themselves won’t get any sleep until the count is done. Imai illustrates her oversize-format episode in soft pencil and faint touches of color on ribbed, creamy paper; though a squad of fluffy sheep (each sporting a number) mills about in each scene, the art never loses its invitingly broad, spacious look. After several failed stratagems, Emma breaks out a saw and pierces the headboard with a hole—which, thankfully, is gone come morning, along with all of the sheep. Emma may be optimistic in thinking that she’ll never have trouble falling asleep again, but the tale’s understated suspense and wry humor, along with the delicate visuals, should lull even mildly insomniac children into dreamland. (Picture book. 5-8)